I have a little rant today...well, okay, it might end up being a big one.
In the last week, Amazon has gone on another witch-hunt to get rid of so-called 'fake' reviews. I've been relieved in that, so far, all of my reviews have remained intact as well as the reviews I've given to other books. I do know a few authors who have had reviews removed. The stupid thing is, the ones removed are from people that weren't even known to the authors. This means that, in fact, the reviews most likely getting removed are the true reviews. The only thing that makes sense to me is that a small group of people (including some publishers and traditionally published authors, as well as readers) are speaking out against Indie authors and putting pressure on Amazon to "do something about this problem!" So, is Amazon just arbitrarily deleting reviews? It seems that way. At the same time, I'm not sure what else they can do about it. I actually understand their position.
The thing is, there are a lot of terrible Indie books out there. I'm not trying to be mean. I'm really not. But if you are a follower of my blog, you know I agonized over my decision to self-publish particularly because there are so many people out there publishing books who shouldn't be. My very first experience with an Indie book was something so horrible, I swore I would never buy one again.
Once I met some Indie authors who actually are writing just as traditional authors, using editors, cover artists, beta readers, whatever they can to improve their product and make it fabulous, they slowly changed my mind. With proper editing, I think even a bad book could become a good one. Hiring an editor is the answer to every Indie author's problem. That and critique groups. I can't believe how terrific some of these people are at what they do. Truly talented folks!
I've been wrapped up in my own little world now, associating with people who are doing things the right way--people putting out top-quality books even though they are the dreaded "Indies." I started to get really upset by Amazon deleting reviews, picking on Indies, it would seem (although I've recently heard of traditionally published authors losing reviews too--I just think the people complaining about reviews are spurred on by Indie's and dishonest people paying for reviews **cough** John Locke **cough cough**). However, I've recently been reminded of why I once vowed never to buy another Indie book.
I've fallen into being a book reviewer quite by accident. I never intended to become one. Really, I like such an eclectic mishmash of book genres, that I just figured it would be fun to put up reviews for the books I'm reading that I really like. I love writing, but reading has always been a passion for me. I wanted anyone who found me to be able to learn a little more about me by what I'm reading. Maybe get them to tell me more about them by what they are reading. I never really expected authors to start sending me their books and asking for reviews.
In the beginning, I thought it was sort of neat. I get free books to read, and I can share the message with my readers about new books out. I've moved on to author interviews too, all more of a chance to let my readers connect with new authors. The problem is, I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, so I've told people, 'if your book isn't at least a 3-star for me, I won't post a review.' My books I love feature was truly just supposed to be books I love.
Here's my problem--I've received a few books in the past few weeks, some even with a so-called 'publisher' of the small-press variety. They are, in a word, horrible. Either I can't make heads or tails of the story line, or there is just a bunch of talking heads sitting around chatting and I can't focus on anything as my eyes glaze over, or the dialogue is so stiff and the writing so passive, it's obvious to me the person didn't even bother to submit to a critique group and get basic help, let alone attending writing classes or hire a quality editor. Heck - even just ask some English major at a college to go over it. Anything!
I made it through around 15% of the first book, though I set it aside several times and proclaimed I wasn't going to finish it. Then, I'd get to feeling bad. I looked at the book on Amazon. It has glowing reviews. Am I just too jaded by my "critique" mentality from helping my partners at www.critiquecircle.com? Was I being too hard on other authors? I tried so many times to read that book, making it through a few pages at a time before I finally couldn't handle it. If it is just me, I guess that's the way it rolls, but I would never read that book for pleasure.
So, I moved on to the next book. The person I got this book from is super sweet, and we've talked quite a bit. As a person, this author is great. The story line of the book might even be fabulous--but I will never know. The problem? Talking heads the entire way. Number one rule in every class I ever took says don't have talking heads (where your characters are just talking back and forth with nothing else going on). This book is the worst case I have ever seen. Pages and pages of just dialogue. No modifiers even to tell who is speaking through PAGES. What happens if I lose track of whose speaking? Do I go back to the beginning of the chapter where there was a so-and-so said, five pages back, and then count lines to figure it out? Sorry, but I'm not willing to do that.
An editor could have fixed these issues, should have fixed them. What scares me is that these books were both supposedly put out with a publisher. Is it a fake publisher that is actually just the author's business name? I'm not sure. When I chose to self-publish, I put my own name as the publisher, but I know some authors create a publishing company to try to lend legitimacy to their work. I figure, my work speaks for itself. I'm willing to embrace the fact that I self-published. You may be asking, am I so cocky I think everyone will love my book? Of course not. I'm not writing for the masses, but for a target audience. And even within that audience, some people won't like what I've done. We all have different tastes. But do I think my book is high-quality with good sentence structure, great plot elements, and a basic comprehension of proper grammar? Yes, I do. And even though I had a few problems with these things in the beginning, that's what my critique group and editor were there to help me with.
To make my long rant even longer, here's my new policy. I just received two unsolicited manuscripts this week. The authors didn't even bother to ask me first if I wanted them. I deleted them, because I've had enough right at this moment with reading Indie material, though I'm sure I will get back to it eventually. If you want me to review your work, ask me first if I'd like to, send me the MS when I ask for it, and know this...if I take the time to load your book to my Kindle, and it is horrible, I am going to say so. If you want a review from me, it will not only be posted if it fits my "books I love" slot. I will give an honest opinion.
As far as whether Indie's are ruining the industry, cheating readers with fake reviews, yadda, yadda, yadda - I still think the answer to that is no. Even if you don't have an ereader - you can download the sample on Amazon itself to see if the author has a clue about what they are doing in the department of writing. I don't buy any books anymore without reading the sample first. It's just a good practice to get into. If I can't make it through the sample, I'm not going to enjoy the book, so I'll save my money. This can't guarantee that a technically proficient writer will be able to tell a story that will satisfy me overall, but even traditionally published authors can't always fulfill that with their books. At least if I read the sample, I'll know they took the time to write the story in a manner that the writing itself won't present a problem.
Amazon may continue deleting reviews. I don't really think this will help the problem. Sample reading is the answer. At least for me. What are your views on this issue?
Thanks for reading everyone, and letting me rant. That's been building up! Whew! Have a great week.
eeeChantelfff
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
43 comments:
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I have to agree with you, Chantel. Those writers who don't take the necessary editing steps before publishing a story simply insult the reader and should expect repercussions.
ReplyDeleteI recently read a story which must be in the top five of my most enjoyed novels this year. It was gripping. But I can't bring myself to review it (yet) because of the screaming errors that jarred my brain throughout.
I don't have the sort of eyes that can skim forgivingly over errors in basic spelling, punctuation and word misuse and these just rudely jerk me out of the fictional world and into some angry limbo where I fume for a while before getting back to the story. I even began to write them down with the vague intention of contacting the author. Who wants to be doing that when they are supposed to be relaxing with a good book?
And you are right, too in that it is not only self-published authors who are sloppy, but some of the small indie publishers as well.
Whenever I read such badly presented works, it makes me understand why indie authors receive the reputation they do.
Great article. Excellent blog - thank you.
Well see, and even I fell into the trap with my book. I hired an editor and thought that meant all the errors would be gone. Let's just say, thank goodness for a few good friends and the ability to update my book. There were errors in my first book when I first published, which embarrasses me to no end! They were little things, like an omitted word or the instead of they, not major problems with sentence structure or basic English skills. Still, embarrassing and a good lesson to me to not rush to publication ever again. And get an extra proof reader.
DeleteBut that's what I like the sample for. The one on my book goes through chapter 8 and you can tell by then whether you want to continue, I think. Thanks so much for the comment and reading! I appreciate the support!
Having been previously small-press published and now gone indie, my experience is that the small-press authors often ask each other to post Likes/5 stars/etc. on various sites, but don't often ask for fake reviews. I personally never ask for such things, nor do I give them unless I've actually read the book.
ReplyDeleteAs an indie, I see a lot less of that. I believe there are networks of folks who do such things but I'm not part of that scene.
I hadn't heard that Amazon was on a rampage of deleting reviews and that bothers me, since my reviews are all legitimate. Yikes! Perhaps more readers need to ignore Amazon reviews and go to Goodreads instead.
I 100% agree with you about the editing. Too many indies don't get editing or worse, imagine that they have because a friend read it over for them. While test reading with friends is valuable, so-called "frediting" is not. Further, a cheap editor gives you what you've paid for. My latest novel cost $1300 for editing, $145 for the cover artist, and $111 for lyrics permission rights. That's expensive, but so far my reviews are bearing out that it was worthwhile.
Incidentally I found this article randomly on Twitter so I'm not here soliciting a review, promise. :)
Well, and to be clear, I'm not saying one way or the other whether the reviews are faked. Everyone has different tastes, so reviews are very subjective. I would never pay for a review, but since some people have, it makes all Indies look bad cause we are lumped in the same boat.
Deletehaha - you cracked me up about the review soliciting. It's not that I mind people asking, especially not if they've gone the route that it sounds like you have. I hope it didn't come across like that. I want to help others where I can. I was just shocked to get some sent without an invitation or even an email asking if I wanted it.
Thanks for reading and for taking the time to comment! I appreciate it!
You make some very valid points. I agree there are way too many books being self-pubbed that absolutely are in no way ready and Amazon is swamped. I haven't lost any reviews yet, thank heaves. My two Indies are older titles I took back the rights to. The rest are with The Wild Rose Press and they have terrific editors.
ReplyDeleteOh - I'm glad to hear good things about The Wild Rose Press... they were one of the publishers I was considering submitting to before I made the decision to SP. So happy you haven't lost any reviews yet. Hopefully it all settles down soon. I think everyone gets in an uproar, and Amazon is just trying to respond to the demand from certain groups.
DeleteCongrats on your books! If I ever decide to change my mind about SP, TWRP is somewhere I will be looking at.
Loving this post! I had some guy contact me about reviewing his book but the tagline totally turned me off!
ReplyDeleteIt was something like:
Murder, rape, kidnapping, sodomy, and canabolism...this book has everything!
Seriously?! Had the guy seen my blog?
And who would read this book?
I have not had any reviews removed either. Every review I've received has been from people who have actually read the book.
That tag line has given me a much needed laugh. If one must write about cannibalism, one could at least check the spelling of the word.
Deletehaha - okay, both of your posts made me laugh. They say though, Christina, there is a market for everything! That's a pretty small target audience though, I would think. But, hey, it has everything! :-)
DeleteGlad your reviews are all intact, because I reviewed your book, and can attest to the fact that it is excellent! Write the next one faster please! The story line and quality of Only In Her Dreams are wonderful!
Nicely stated. It seems every time I say something like that, I get labeled the Black Fiend From Ragnarock. Maybe it's your delivery? Great post!
ReplyDeleteWell, so far no one is saying I'm The Black Fiendess... I'm really not trying to be unfair or anything. It's a problem that I don't think will ever sort itself out.
DeleteI guess my main hope is any Indie who isn't using critique groups and editors who happen across this post will think twice about it and change themselves for the better. I really do want everyone to succeed, but once in a while I get a little grouchy ;-) Thanks for the comment!
I have a schizophrenic attitude to Amazon. On the one hand I like the fact that I can self-publish with them (I have, actually, but not as Fulani; I have several alter egos...). On the other, their size and market dominance have led them into sharp practices, with print as well as e-books, that I disapprove of (heard the one about claiming 20% of an ebook price as VAT from UK authors while only paying 3% VAT because they're based in Luxembourg? And the readers who get blocked and have all their ebooks wiped from their kindle because they order one from outsid their own country? And so on).
ReplyDeleteIt goes with the territory that a lot of people who don't have a lot of writing skills will publish through Amazon. I have no problem with them doing that because that's their privilege and as you say, checking the 'Look Inside' function has saved me buying loads of books that looked excellent - until I read the first couple of pages. I'd also say that I've bumped into a few books from authors I've never heard of, that the 'Look Inside' encouraged me to buy because I enjoyed what I read. It's cool if a book has reviews, but I'm not going to buy something on the basis of reviews - not because I think they're engineered somehow but because people like such different things, my own tastes aren't the same as many other people's, and I'm not going to accept a review as evidence I'd enjoy a book. Look Inside, every time.
Thanks, delicious! It's nice to know I'm not the only person reading samples and seeing that as the solution. I've heard people complain (on some kindle boards) that they don't want to wade through the samples so they are mad at the supposed "fake" reviews. This confuses me. If you don't want to take the trouble to read the sample... are you reading the book? What's going on there? Why buy any books if you don't want to... ummm... read?
DeleteI hadn't heard of the kindle swiping and such. That would definitely be a problem. And the unfair paying practices would also be concerning. I've no experience with either of those things, thank goodness.
Happy sample reading! Thanks so much for taking the time to tell me your thoughts.
Hi Chantel, I think the best thing is that we have to protect our own time. Yes, it might be nice to read a book because someone asked you to, but if you can't slog through it, then drop it. There are so many more interesting books out there.
ReplyDeleteI don't differentiate between indie and trad published books when I look for reading material. I go by my interests. I read the synopsis and sample the first chapter. I do peek at the 1-stars because I think they are funny and generally they do not dissuade me a bit. In fact, sometimes they encourage me to pick up the book. I don't look at the 5-stars too closely because I'm afraid of spoilers.
When I do finish a book, I take time to absorb it before giving a thoughtful and fair review, keeping in mind that this is only MY opinion. After I write my review, I then go back and read the other reviews to see if other readers got the same or different message than I did. That's when I might vote up or down a review, not based on whether I agree with it or not, but on how fair or objective it was.
anyway, good post!
Honestly, sometimes one stars can be more of a motivation for me to download a sample than a five star. What is so horrible about this that only one person gave it a one star? LOL
DeleteAnd everyone's tastes are so different. That's why I sometimes have a hard time giving up on a book I'm reviewing. If so many other people gave a book five stars, is there something wrong with me that I can't see it? But, since I've become so busy with my blog, editing a book for a friend, and still trying to do my own writing (not to mention my day job and, oh yeah, seeing my family once in a while), I'm becoming a bit more guarded with where I spend my time.
Thanks for sharing your process!
Maybe if you post some one / two star reviews, people will think twice before sending you garbage ;)
ReplyDeleteWell, and I'm so afraid that perhaps they really don't know the books have problems. Then what? I think it will crush me if I do ever have to post some really bad reviews. Hopefully this post helps those that really don't know they should be hiring editors and getting outside help with their writing to see what needs to be done.
DeleteThanks for commenting, Shane!
There is so much good out there in terms of indie books that it is sad that indie authors are being accused of ruining the publishing industry, but there are definitely bad books out there, and that's what is causing the stigma.
ReplyDeleteI understand what you mean about the talking heads. I read a book not too long ago that was like that. I shouldn't have to work so hard to figure out who the heck is speaking!
That is the real thing, there are WONDERFUL indie authors. I associate with many of you often. And I love getting the opportunity to read your books, love them, give great reviews. That is what I wanted to do on my blog. Just the great books that I really enjoy. But not just Indies, I do trad books and SP. I have so many authors I admire. There are a lot of great books in the world, and I love reading.
DeleteBut, yeah, I'm no longer taking the time to figure out who is speaking or decipher sentences that do not make any sense. I can forgive a slight amount of these things in any book, but not the entire thing.
Thanks for the comment, Michele!
About the Amazon reviews, I actually have gotten quite a few reviews through Goodreads' review request groups (people sign up to review and I give out free ecopies of my books). These groups are great because they cross-post (usually) to Amazon and B&N for us. If Amazon is going through their reviews, then frankly I'd get a little PO'd because they are real reviews from people who've read our books but they're just not "verified purchases". I know more than a few authors on Goodreads who get reviews this way. It has been a huge help to me especially when I was just getting started publishing. And, I absolutely believe that major publishing houses are posting positive fake reviews for their books - why wouldn't they? Their entire survival depends on word-of-mouth and actual advertising. If anything, I would be they're worse than most indies because at least with indies, eventually the truth would come out. I've read some horrible indie books with many 5-star glowing reviews. And yet the book was terrible.
ReplyDeleteThat's a very good point, Annalise. Just because the review isn't Amazon verified doesn't mean it isn't a real review. I do think people look at this more now though, and make a decision whether they think it is real or not.
DeleteI just received a wonderful review from Satin Sheets Romance. I gave them the book free for review. It's a real review, no less valid because the reviewer didn't pay for the book.
I do agree with you that fake reviews likely happen on either side of the issue. As does paying for reviews (although I do know some people who have paid for reviews that aren't for a 5-star review - they are for an honest review, but paying the reviewer for their time - apparently this is a no-no now).
I think things will settle down. All we can do is keep writing quality books, and word of mouth will sell our books even if a few reviews get deleted.
You're right. Read a sample. That's what you'd do in a book shop or a library. No writer can please everybody. What works for some will be crap for others. (And here I'm talking story, not so much craftsmanship.)
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree with you more, Greta! Thanks for posting.
DeleteUntil fairly recently, I was absolutely determined that I'd never self-pub. Horrible covers and no editing played pretty big roles in that prejudice.
ReplyDeleteWhen I figured out that not all self-pub authors were in that pile, I realized the amount of work required to do it 'right'. Good story, good writing, good editing, good cover, and endless marketing that had to be done in such a way that more readers weren't pissed off than were attracted to the book. I'm lazy. I don't like to work that hard.
But I realized, today ALL authors have to do most of their own marketing. The big difference between trad and self pub is who pays the editor and cover artist. And, of course, control and profit. If I'm going to do all the work, I'm certainly not going to give someone else 2/3 of the money. And the rebel in me despises the thought of someone else telling me how often my characters must have sex, or to kill off my villain.
So, I'm now a self-published author! Of course there are still people putting out books that have no business being made public, but I think, and hope, as the market matures, those will fall by the wayside and good stories with good writing will sell.
Thanks
Kenra
See, you went through the exact process I did with this struggle. Marketing is done whether you are indie or trad. A lot of trad authors do not get big advances or even very good contracts.
DeleteAnd creative control became a big deal for me. I apparently have some romance no-nos according to my editor, that just don't do in traditional romance novels. But, a few of my crit partners threatened to come on and give me BAD reviews if I took out one of the scenes my editor was most against. Since it was actually my favorite scene out of the entire book and I was self-publishing, it stayed.
Congrats, Kenra, on your decision to self-pub. Keep putting out quality and let your characters have as much sex, live or die, or do whatever your imagination dictates! I wish you lots of luck!
Great article. And no, you're not the only one to notice the atrocious quality of too many Indie books. I say that with great trepidation, because I'm about to publish my own historical fiction novel on Amazon. I've been making a concerted effort to preview as many books as I can, just to get a sense of the marketplace.
ReplyDeleteAs an author, I would prefer honest reviews; so I support your new approach. As a reader, I've been astounded by the number of bad books that get good reviews.
I've also noticed a large volume of traffic on Twitter asking for "likes" and "good reviews" -- since I don't know those authors and I haven't read their work, I can't say whether they deserve a good review. But it looks like many authors are trying to game the system and sell crappy books. On the other hand, that's nothing new. Caveat emptor.
Hopefully I have a leg up on the competition, having been a professional writer and editor since graduating from college almost 30 years ago, a desktop publisher for 20 years, and a professional webmaster for 10.
None of that, of course, means that readers will like my novel. But I refuse to solicit fake reviews, or pay for "followers." And although I do care how many "visits" my blog gets, and I do want my book to sell, I also want my work to stand on its own literary merits.
Thanks for your (courageous?) post. Hopefully other authors and reviewers will follow suit.
Oh - thank you so much! You know, I really expected someone to blast me for this post. So far, you are all just terrific. It is so wonderful to me. Every time I get frustrated and reach out to the writing community, I see such positive outcomes. I am so happy to be surrounded with people who care about their work, care about being honest, and care about the person who really matters in all of this - the reader.
DeleteBuyer beware, indeed. That is the best point of this post and I didn't really make it clear. Thanks for that. People don't buy a car and totally trust the salesman that it is in perfect condition and rides like a dream... they take it out, test it, make sure that person is honest. There will always be people only interested in making money... heck, I want to make money. But I want to do it because I am selling something of value that people want.
I agree with you - good writing can't guarantee someone will like our books, but at least they are getting quality merchandise. Good luck with your historical fiction. It certainly sounds like you have a solid background. I'm fairly new, having only been taking classes and writing fiction seriously the last six years, but it is a fun and exciting world, isn't it? Good luck!
Wonderful article! I've critted some books myself in which I've thought 'what a piece of crap', then shuddered when I learned the authors planned to self publish that novel. But then, I've also critted a few good novels which I thought were some of the best stuff I've ever read. I was disappointed when I learned the authors of those novels intended to self publish them on Amazon. I thought they would be competitive with traditional publishers.
ReplyDeleteI think the problem is, while you can find anything on Amazon you could ever want to read, there's no way to seperate the wheat from the chaff. Just because a book has a nice cover picture and catchy title doesn't mean it's any good. I've considered self publishing some of my harder to classify works on Amazon, but I hate the idea they might get lost in a sea of not so good works.
Thanks for reading, Chuck. Yeah, I had a crit partner of mine urging me not to self-pub because he said the same thing, my book was so good he could see it as a movie and really wanted me to push for a trad deal. Thing is, I love the control I have as SP. I think it is hard to get noticed regardless of the way you publish. Then again, I can always try to go Traditional with a different book if I change my mind.
DeleteIt is hard to stand out, but I don't know if traditional would be any better or not as far as chances of standing out in the crowd. Many trad books fail too. It is a good idea for hard to classify books. Even though they don't fit into neat little boxes, that doesn't mean some books shouldn't be published... just that trad publishers don't want to take a chance on them.
Good luck with whatever you do! Thanks so much for commenting!
Great article. Might have to borrow some of your rules on books I review but in all fairness one of the worst edited books I've seen was 50 Shades - and look how popular that's been!
ReplyDeletehaha - okay, Riley. You have a very good point. I haven't read it, but I've heard you either love it for it's steamy content or hate it for the horrible writing. Still, they are selling a ton of that book, so if your content is interesting enough I guess, in theory, you don't need a good editor. I'm not willing to take that chance with my work, but I am impressed by the success of 50 Shades. No matter what you think about it, secretly, we ALL wish it was us who wrote it ;-) Thanks for the comment!
DeleteI never make tpyos and my grammar are perfect... thank God I found a couple of beta readers who point out errors in my books (I have 15)As for editing.. I've been through 2 paid eiditors and they were horrible.. so my insight to add to your blog is.. be sure you hire a professional editor. Check them out.. check out their work. I've been burned too many times. At present I have my 3rd paid edit in progress as we speak and she is only on book 1.
ReplyDeleteAs for reading enjoyment and what an author can do? I have fun when I'm writing and that normally means my readers will have fun as well. Not everyone is going to love my writing style and I accept that as part of the trade. I don't ask for reviews either.
Last of all, I actually sell more books from sellers outside Amazon. (Thank God I didn't go KDP select when that started last year).. whew.. but that's just my personal choice. If you use KDP select with success then that's great..
Great blog Chantel.. and keep up the great work
Charles Wells
http://www.wellstonpublishing.com (yes. my own brand name publishing company.. ) HA
haha - me either. Typos? What's that? LOL But yes, I think it is important to have more than one person looking over your stuff. As I mentioned in a comment above, my editor missed things. Thank goodness for two friends who raced through the book to find errors so I could fix it. Totally embarrassing to me, but a good lesson.
DeleteI really agree with the enjoyment factor. You have to love what you are writing if you expect readers too. Even then, all tastes are different so not everyone will love the things I love to write.
Good luck with your brand and publishing company, Charles ;-) Sounds like you are doing things the best way possible for the reader to have a great experience with your work!
The automobile killed the horse and buggy industry but did amazing things for the transportation industry. Lumping Indie authors in the same ball is like claiming all cars are the same or that all doctors are equally skilled. I don't sell indie books. I sell stories and information by Sevastian Winters. No one else can do that. Authors need to spend less time worrying about the actions of other authors and more working on their own business. Just my 2 cents.
ReplyDeleteGood point. I'm sure people were very against automobiles in the beginning, and look at the fears of the oil industry not wanting solar cars to take over. It all comes down to money, really, and who's losing it or gaining it.
DeleteAnd, like I said, Amazon guarantees a reader can't be cheated by poor writing if the reader just takes time to read the sample first. So, really, I see no problem that way.
Good luck with your stories, Sevastian! Thanks for the comment.
I agree, Chantel. Between all the reviewers who purposely gang up on specific books/authors (see the Amazon chat threads) and the poorly written books I've tried to read, you couldn't have spoken more truthfully. I used to be published with a small press where I learned to NEVER buy a small-press publication without reading an excerpt first. That's harsh but the reality of my first publishing venture. Now for Indie books, it's an even more significant mantra. I have grabbed plenty of free books in the genres I read/write only to delete them before completing the opening chapter.
ReplyDeleteMind you, I get plenty of negative reviews about my own work because people don't understand why I write the POV I write (my second publisher had me change something and it became habit that works for lots of readers).
You're so right about the free sample at Amazon (Nook too). I just don't know why people don't read samples. ??? I imagine it's more along the lines of the dreaded FREE game. Just like reviewers, readers can grab FREE books and have their way with them unless they're completely repulsed, and then they opt to have their way with free books via reviews! I give up to 3500 copies of a previously-published book away through the Free game at Amazon. How many people keep buying my (99-cent) books? LOTS. How many people leave me reviews? A handful. What are the odds the people leaving reviews are going to have been the people who normally pick the sub-genres I write? LOW. Well, you see how the snowball is rolling--downhill. Publishing is a crap shoot like reviews. I wish there were more sensible reviewers out there like you. I edit reviews for one with your same attitude. She doesn't post reviews rated beneath a 3. Seriously, I think sites like Amazon should only allow comment reviews or the rating system. Both together make no sense when most people say awesome things about a story but give it a 3. HUH???? That drives me nuts.
And I think it's funny how NY publishers can MAKE an author who writes horribly but it's a kiss of death to an Indie author. Is that a strange irony or what?
Sorry, as you can see, this is one of those things that's been rubbing me wrong lately. I have the very same discussion with the reviewer I edit for! Hang in there and stand behind your reviewing guidelines. People who purchase books based on your reviews are relying on your system to guide them through the cataracts of Book River! ;P
I do think the FREE game is a major problem. I know it works for some, but you do have the problem of masses of people downloading books they aren't really interested in. When I hear someone doesn't want to read a sample, that tells me they are a book hoarder, not actually my target audience. I personally have made the decision to not do free. First off, I get quite a few sales through B&N. Second, I don't know that its the best way to reach my readers. I've put my book on sale for 99c to get a start (though that price will raise in November) instead of doing free.
DeleteAs far as horrible NYT books, there is often not much that's fair in business, I suppose. Everyone is trying to make money. However, long term, I think the best plan is to keep writing quality books. I hope readers who do find me will like what I've written and refer me to their friends. That's the best I can hope for. Blogging, twitter, triberr and a few ads to get my name out there. Wish I had the budget of a big author to advertise, but I don't. So, I'll write quality and be patient.
Good luck with your new release, BTW! I hope it does great! And thanks for the encouragement. I appreciate you taking the time to comment!
You make valid points apart from a few MAJOR errors.
ReplyDeleteI have made only $5 in 8 months-how do I pay for an editor at $1-$2 a page.
As an Indie, I have to weigh outlay V income, which is why I self pub. Also I like the fact that I can control my book.
I have to beg favours of friends for covers and editing, these I cannot pay back and that hurts me.
ALL you writers forget that we are not all rich enough to afford an editor
I feel your pain, Alan. I don't think any of us commenting here have an unlimited supply of money. It was a big choice for me to SP, partly because I couldn't afford to pay a lot of money for cover art and an editor. I worked a lot of overtime to afford these things. I also did my own formatting to save money, by reading all the instructions I could find and also looking up some help on blogs. I don't have a table of contents, which bugs me, and I'm hoping I can figure out how to do that in the future.
DeleteI bargain shop for editors who don't charge exorbitant fees. There is no shame in even asking around at a college for an English Major. Someone might want to edit your novel to have that on their resume and would do it for free.
I too am begging favors for editing this time around. My beta readers all know I'm sending them my finalized version and part of the deal is they will look for any remaining errors after its been edited (since I found some in my already edited novel last time, but not until after I had published it). There is no shame in asking for help.
However, if you have only made $5 in 8 months you might need to look at the quality of your work, or your cover art, or your blurb, or maybe change your price. Play around and find out what's wrong because something isn't working on your novel. I'm not selling a huge amount, by any means, but I've almost made enough to recover the cost of my cover art in the 2-1/2 months my book has been published.
Good luck, Alan. Trust me, I'm not against you. I'm on your side and want you to succeed. I have no clue what quality your book is. Some of us are better at grammar and such than others. Maybe your book doesn't need as much help as others. I do transcription work for a living, so have a basic understanding of the rules of language and think I do pretty good. But you've probably spotted errors on my blog. I still need more eyes on things to have them publication ready.
Thanks for reading and commenting. Good luck to you!
I have not read any bad Indie e-books. This is probably because before reading them I check the author's website and gauge the seriousness of his/her work and presence in the social media scene. I also read books reviewed by fellow writers who I know are competent.
ReplyDeleteAs to the appropriateness of Amazon deleting reviews I guess it depends on their nature. Were these reviews written by people using accounts created before a given book was published and then abandoned reviewing nothing else? Do the people using these accounts review only the work of one author? There are ways to identify the accounts used for fake reviews. I am sure that occasionally Amazon will make a mistake and toss out the baby with the bathwater but that may be the price we have to pay to keep reviews honest.
I mostly write, but I also review books and I don't give out bad reviews. If the book has problems I prefer to put together a list of comments and send it to the author. I think this is better for the author than a bad review.
Well, as far as the reviews being deleted... I don't think it is really that subjective of a study that they actually know the reviews are faked. I mean, I don't know everything they look at, but the cases I've heard about sound odd. Still, I do understand why they are doing it, which was my whole point.
DeleteIt's not fair to only have the good put up about books that aren't well written. That is my problem with only giving reviews on positive books, but I also don't want to hurt another writer who may not know they need help. Then again, I find that sending them an email to try to help them rarely helps. They don't want to hear what you have to say unless it is positive.
Good luck with your writing and reviewing! Thanks for the comment!
Hi, Chantel,
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that a sample will tell if the book is any good. I do that for every book I buy off Amazon. Saves me a lot of expense and grief.
As to deleted reviews, I've had my share. I'm not sure of the rhyme or reason though as the ones that disappeared are from people I haven't met online or off. Go figure. I know a couple of mine did a disappearing act again this past week.
So glad you read the samples! I do think this is the answer!
DeleteSorry to hear you had a few reviews go away. I've known several authors who have had this happen. And as I did state above, it seems to be from people totally unknown to the author, so they would have no reason to write a fake review. No rhyme or reason is exactly what I've seen.
Happy reading and writing, J.L.!